Health Canada is Moving Forward with New Food and Beverage Label Requirements

Largely following U.S. FDA efforts, last month, Health Canada, the country’s food and beverage regulatory agency, issued four draft designs for ‘Front of package’ labeling.

The designs would require a symbol be placed on foods deemed high in saturated fat, sugars and sodium, based on thresholds that correspond to the recommend daily intake. The size of the new labels would be based on the size of the package.

Health Canada estimates that half of Canadian food products would be required to have a new front of package label.

Comments on the design are open until April 26.

By the end of 2018, a final design will be issued (along with labeling requirements).